Formed in 1989 from the ashes of The Untouchables, this London three piece sought a return to the powerful guitar based rock'n'roll that inspired them to first pick up their instruments in the late seventies. Influenced by The Jam, The Ruts, Ramones and of course the Pistols the Guitar Gangsters produced a debut album of melodic power punk gems that made "Prohibition" a sort after release. This, together with tracks on Link Records' "Underground Rockers" compilation album (Manic Street Preachers, Senseless Things and Mega City Four were also featured) brought the band to the attention of Stiff Little Fingers who invited the Gangsters as guests on the Fingers' comeback UK tour.
1992 saw the release of the Guitar Gangsters' second album "Money With Menaces" on Communique Records and the band continue to gig throughout the UK. Occasional airplays on evening Radio One created a buzz about the band but a reluctance by the Gangsters to soften their musical style discouraged major label interest. Another one album deal was done - this time with Anagram, a division of Cherry Red and "Power Chords For England" was recorded and released on CD in 1994
In 1995 the Guitar Gangsters began to discover European audiences and toured with 999, The Lurkers, Vibrators and others and recorded "Skweeler!" for release on the band's own Rampant Music label. Recognising the new European interest in the band, Captain Oi! Records have released a double CD of the first two albums that had been unavailable since 1994. A live album recorded in Germany and Poland in 1998, "Made In England - Live In Europe" was released early in 1999 on the Rampant label.
The band were out touring Europe again in 2000 with Vice Squad and in July of that year the UK streetpunk label Captain Oi! released the Gangsters' first studio album since "Skweeler!" -"Road To Reality" pulling together songs written over a three year period - the early punk influences were still evident and the band stuck to what they do best and for this they make no apology. Tales of suburbia and failed ambition hung on a wall of guitars played with passion and honesty.
In May 2001 the band travelled to Los Angeles as guests of The Generators to play a tour of the West Coast and begin recording for a new album. USA's premier streetpunk label, TKO released a sample track "Safety Pin Through My Heart" from the forthcoming album on a compilation "Punch Drunk III" put out in September 2001. In July of that year Guitar Gangsters joined over 100 other punk bands to celebrate 25 years of punk at Holidays In The Sun festival at Morecombe.
In October 2002 Captain Oi! will release the band's 6th studio album titled "Another Day In Pleasantville" and a track from the album titled "Rattle My Cage" can be found on the Captain Oi! sampler out soon.
In August this year the band play a short tour in Germany taking in the ANTIfest near Prague as they go. In November, to promote the release of the new album Guitar Gangsters will be touring the UK and Eastern Europe.